


Importance of Names

by Bodldops



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bodldops/pseuds/Bodldops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kylo Ren is settled into his true path, clear on his destiny and his place in the galaxy.  It is a very good thing then, that there's someone in this galaxy who's used to dealing with temperamental Skywalker boys.  After all, it turns out the afterlife is a bit dull.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Importance of Names

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to Marie-Constance Quesnet for beta-ing and fixing my everloving tense issues. <3

"Good morning, namesake." The voice was amused, relaxed, with a Core-world accent... and completely unfamiliar. Kylo sat up with a jerk, his lightsaber flying to hand on reflex. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to assassinate him in his sleep… though it would be the first they purposefully gave him advanced warning. Carefully, while stretching his sense of awareness through the Force, he slipped from his bed into a defensive crouch.

"Well. That's not very friendly, is it?" Kylo blinked the sleep from his eyes, focusing on his familiar quarters. He could not sense a live attacker, could not feel the vibrations of an assassin droid… and if anything, the voice sounded even more amused than before. It wasn’t exactly the effect he usually had.

“Computer. Lights.” Kylo snapped, and the overhead lights flared brightly. Immediately he regretted not asking for half-strength lights, even more so as the unknown voice chuckled warmly at his wince. After a second his vision cleared, to reveal…

No one.

With trained efficiency, Kylo searched his quarters. He was involved in the construction of these rooms, and knew every bulkhead, every bolt, every possible hiding place. There wasn’t a living soul or hidden droid to be found, leaving him to stand, confused and irritated, in the middle of his bedroom. Of course, he hadn’t heard from the unknown voice since he turned on the lights – maybe it was the remnant of a dream. Nightmares were nothing new to Kylo. Ever since he abandoned his training with Skywalker and set upon his new path to follow the steps of his grandfather, formless nightmares had followed. 

Surely it was just a nightmare. Weird, certainly, but no more alarming than that. Scowling, Kylo checked the chronometer and, realizing it was almost time to rise anyway, got on about the business of the day. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, Kylo had entirely forgotten about the incident. His days were full keeping teams building the Starkiller base on task and hunting down any lead to where his… where _Ben Organa’s_ master might have disappeared off to. He had just finished a routine examination of the Starkiller’s focusing array – the team was behind, allowing him the pleasure of reminding them in ominous tones and great detail just how Supreme Leader Snoke would look upon such failure. Their fear was delicious, and he was just as glad that his mask hid his smile. All in all, it was a good day, and even with the team being behind, the massive structure was very impressive, with its black scaffolding, the pit descending down into the depths of the hollowed-out planet.

“Goodness, _someone_ is compensating for something.” Kylo whirled on his heel, his saber already at hand. The voice, that voice, had come from directly behind him. He could see a pair of Stormtroopers start at his movement up near the hatchway which led to the hanger deck, but other than that the area was deserted. Not even a cleaner droid moved, and the Stormtroopers evidently felt they were best needed elsewhere – he could feel their nervousness from here as they ducked through the hatchway. He would have to speak with Captain Phasma about their training.

“Reveal yourself!” Kylo snarled, “Reveal yourself and face me!” 

“You know, only a fool would allow himself to be goaded so easily.” Kylo was unused to this reaction, and found he disliked it immensely. Fear, fleeting defiance, outright terror – those he knew well. This calm amusement was both unwelcome and irritating. Temper flaring, he lunged forward to where he heard the voice, his saber hissing through the cool air.

There was no reaction, other than that warm laughter, as if he were nothing more than a particularly amusing toddler. Anger brought the strength of the Dark with it, feeding itself to a great inferno until all he saw was red, all he wanted was to destroy. When he came to a stop, panting roughly, the damage was… extensive. His saber had cut through infrastructure like a hot knife through butter, leaving straggling pipework and dangling wiring in its wake. Kylo stood still, his saber held high, the blade hissing and spitting, almost as if it were an audible outlet of his temper.

There was only silence – no voice, no laughter, still no presence to pin it all down to… nothing. Kylo powered down his saber, frowning beneath his mask. He should tell the Supreme Leader, he knew. Snoke would want to know something like this… but Kylo found himself loathe to admit such a weakness. He did not want to prove himself an unworthy vessel to follow in Darth Vader’s steps. No, he would deal with this himself, and present the mystery solved to the Supreme Leader.

He also told himself firmly that he did not hear a soft chuckle behind him as he stormed off towards the hanger deck.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kylo slowly pushed himself to his feet, the audience chamber almost oppressively large now that Supreme Leader Snoke had disappeared from view. There was a lead, finally, in finding Skywalker. A Resistance fighter had been spotted near a backworld planet by one of the First Order’s spies - a fighter out of formation, with no good reason to be where he was, and the pilot was known – Poe Dameron, a pilot of considerable talent. He wouldn’t be wasted on an unimportant mission, and it was well known General Organa sought after news of her brother. Finally, he would…

“What a blowhard.” The voice, _that_ voice, sounded singularly unimpressed and scornful. Kylo would have liked to have turned slowly, to let his wrath be an icy wave instead of a hot-tempered flail, but he found himself whirling around anyway. 

This time, there was a man standing at ease and relaxed on the opposite edge of the platform. He was a lean fellow, almost as tall as Kylo, his auburn hair trimmed into a neat beard, wearing the robes he remembered Skywalker preferring – Jedi robes. 

“Don’t tell me _that_ is now what is considered supreme evil in the galaxy, I fear the galaxy’s standards are slipping terribly.” The man continued, evidently unconcerned that he was facing a Sith in full wrath. Kylo felt that on the whole, ridding himself of this man’s presence was much preferable to a long, slow lesson. With a roar, he launched himself at the mysterious Jedi, his saber flaring to crimson life. 

He stumbled and nearly fell off of the platform when the man’s form offered no resistance, and he went bodily through where the man looked to be, chased once again by that soft laughter. 

“My goodness, you are an impetuous one aren’t you? I thought Luke was headstrong. He almost seems thoughtful in comparison. Ah well, I suppose a challenge will be more interesting.” The mystery man laughed from behind him. Once he had his footing back and was able to turn, Kylo was just in time to see the Jedi go wandering off back towards the base, waving at Kylo idly as if they were old friends. Kylo snarled a wordless challenge and gave chase, his cape snapping behind him. He flew into the control room beyond the bulkhead doors, ready to re-engage with this mysterious figure… only to be greeted with the shock and bewilderment of the troopers beyond. There was no Jedi visible, no way such a man could have walked unconcealed amongst them.

With a snarl he turned on his heel and stormed back towards his quarters. He would need his composure for this mission, and now it was badly rattled.


End file.
